KOL. 11 January 2002. Army helicopters search for Maoists.
KATHMANDU -- The Royal Nepal Army has launched massive air and ground searches and counter offensive against Maoists around Chaurjhari in western Rukum district after Maoist insurgents attacked and destroyed a control tower at Chaurjhari airport and looted hundreds of thousands of rupees from a bank there late Thursday night. According to our correspondents, troops launched massive search operations around the town Friday. He said smoke was still billowing from control tower this morning. The tower is now reported completely destroyed. The Maoists also looted about Rs. 300,000 in cash and gold and silver from a branch of Rastriya Banijya Bank at Chaurjhari. Army sources also said the army helicopters were involved in massive search and destroy operations until 2 p.m. this afternoon and that ground troops launched separate counter offensive on Maoist positions. It was however, not clear if there were casualties on the Maoist side during the latest army offensive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews